| |
| |
|
|
Real Estate |
|
Curb Appeal
First impressions do make a difference when selling your home. Oftentimes, before making the phone call to schedule an appointment, a homebuyer will drive by your home to determine if they may be further interested. If the house presents a good impression, then you receive the phone call for an appointment. Many homes are eliminated from a potential homebuyer's list because they do not give a good first impression. The work you put into sprucing up the inside will be in vain if the exterior of your home does not draw people in. In the real estate world this is known as "curb appeal", that is, your home should be appealing to potential buyers from their initial curbside or drive-by viewing. Achieving curb appeal is not very difficult, nor does it have to be very costly. Assuming your roof, gutters, etc? are not in obvious need of repair, most of your efforts will be focused on cosmetics. Step back from your home or better yet, go to the curb and take a long objective look at your home. You may want to take a look from different angles. Compare your home to others on your block. You will be focusing on two main areas; the house itself and the landscaping surrounding your house. When observing your home, start at the top of the roof and work your way down. Write down areas that need attention. You are striving for a look that makes observers feel that your home is neat, clean and well cared for. The following areas of your exterior deserve special attention: Roof and chimney - Shingles should be intact with none missing and mortar between the bricks should be secure. Although expensive to replace, a roof or chimney in disrepair often discourages potential homebuyers. Exterior siding - If your siding needs to be painted, it is well worth the expense and time. Choose a color that is fairly neutral and that coordinates with homes in your immediate vicinity. Power washing dirty siding can make a house look almost new again. Gutters - You should repair and clean gutters. Weeds growing from your gutters are a good example of a negative first impression. Nothing says "poor maintenance" like weeds in a gutter. Windows and Trim - If the paint on the trim or windows is peeling, scrape and paint. Replace any broken glass and finally clean the windows inside and out. Front Entry Door - If your front door has not been painted in 3-4 years, consider a fresh coat of paint. Depending on the style of your home, a contrasting color from your siding may add visual interest. The front door should welcome buyers into your home. A nice looking wreath in tune with the season gives a warm homey touch. Shutters - If applicable, repair and paint if needed. Usually, a contrasting color matching the front door or a neutral color works best. Foundation - You should repair visible cracks. Basement windows should be repaired if cracked, cleaned and trim painted if necessary. It sometimes helps to paint the exposed foundation on the exterior of your home but you should avoid loud colors. Porch - Once again, repair and paint railings, posts and steps. Place a few nice chairs and a table with plants if space permits. Place a welcome mat by the door. Hanging flower baskets add a nice touch but don't forget to water them. An inexpensive idea to dramatically enrich your curb appeal is to add a brass mailbox, a new brass porch light, brass house numbers and a brass kick plate. For less that $80.00 dollars you will transform the look of your home. Now that the house's exterior is in good shape it is time to concentrate on the landscaping around your home. Your goal is to have the landscaping complement your home, not detract from or compete with it. Homebuyers should not have to look through overgrown shrubs or trees to see your home. Anything overgrown or so large that it blocks windows, doorways or sidewalks should be trimmed back or removed. Any diseased or dying plants should be removed. Aim for a few plants that serve as a focal point, and fill in with other smaller plants. Make beds deep enough to accommodate shrubs when they are fully grown (usually 5-6 feet). Visit a local nursery for ideas. You can get great ideas by simply driving around the neighborhood as well. After trimming and planting, cover the soil with a thick 3-4 inch layer of mulch. Keep the beds free from weeds, and depending on your location and season, add a few annuals for color interspersed with the bushes. Keep everything trimmed and neat so the focus is on your home. Keep your lawn cut, apply fertilizer and weed control if needed. Remember, your landscaping should enhance your home, not overpower it. Keeping everything trimmed and neat will give your home the "curb appeal" needed to make someone want to take a closer look. Once you get the potential buyer inside?well that's the subject for another article! Stay tuned. Bruce Andrews has been in the real estate business for over 20 years. He has experience in real estate investing as well as practicing real estate as a broker for several years. He is currently President of Fifty States Realty. http://www.fiftystatesfsbo.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Real-Estate - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Investment Real Estate -- A New Twist: Be the Bank, Not the Landlord, and Get Rich Without the Work! I was a landlord for a decade, and I believe I probably lost a year of life for each year I tried to maintain 26 properties. I learned the hard way that the most efficient way to make money in investment real estate is to create a mortgage note and be the bank - not the landlord. How To Start Investing For Financial Independence, Part 2 Last week, we started a multi-part series about how to go from being a beginning investor to being "financially independent" in a steady and predictable way. Many, many people want to overly complicate this process so let's briefly, let's recap that discussion. For Sale By Owner: The Inside Scoop On Selling Your Own Home If you're thinking about selling your home perhaps the 'for sale by owner' signs posted on neighborhood lawns have intrigued you. When you browse the newspaper listings you see ad after ad boasting 'for sale by owner' as an added incentive for buyers and you envy the owners that are confident enough to try it. Ten Myths Of Real Estate Investing Is real estate investing only for the wealthy? Can you buy with no money down? Do you have to know the "right" people? Let's answer by looking at some of the myths of real estate.1. Tax Free Exchanges: Watch out for the New Residence Rules On October 22, 2004, President Bush signed tax legislation that contained a provision affecting Internal Revenue Code section 1031 (the like-kind tax-free exchange rules).Under this new provision a taxpayer who exchanges under Internal Revenue Code section 1031 into a rental house as a replacement property for a previous investor property and later converts it to his or her primary residence, is not allowed to exclude gain under the principal residence exclusion rules of Internal Revenue Code section 121, unless he/she sells the property at least five years from the date of its acquisition. Kings Bay Georgia Real Estate - An Amusing Tale About a Real Estate Agent This story is true and not meant to hurt anyone, but the more that I think about what happened, the more it makes me laugh. I hope that you not only get a chuckle from it as I did, but take your time and look for a professional real estate agent. Selling Your Home - A FSBOs Guide to Keeping It Safe Sellers need to keep their safety in mind when prospecting potential buyers. The real estate industry has seen a problematic climb in assaults towards realtors, and so is the concern for those who are selling their own homes. Selling Property - Valuing Your Property Selling property privately has many advantages over using an estate agent. However estate agents can provide useful local information not available from the internet. Real Estate Investing Contracts on Toilet Paper Even if your real estate contract has been written on toilet paper, it's valid.Content of your real estate investing contract is what's important. Moving On: Powerful Tips For Selling Your Home Maybe you're moving to a larger home to accommodate a growing family, relocating for a new career opportunity, or purchasing a townhouse for retirement. Whatever the reason for the move, you'll need to take the necessary steps to sell your home for the best possible price, within a reasonable amount of time. Follow-Up - The Key To Successful Closings If everyone always did everything they said they'd do, we'd all be a lot richer. Unfortunately, tasks are overlooked, and the ball is often dropped. Moldy Homes are a Great Investment Have you seen this in your classifieds? -"Will pay $$$ for moldy homes. Call 555-555-5555"All you have to do is watch the news and you know about mold problems. Dont be Tempted by We Buy Houses (Updated) Do you want to sell your home right away? Don't be tempted by "We Buy Houses" or "Sell Your House in 9 days for Cash" ads and billboards.Savvy real estate investors run these ads and put up posters looking for sellers under duress. Selling Your Home Quickly, Even if You Have No Money For Repairs Do you need to sell your home quickly? If so, don't be tempted by the ads you see that say "We Buy Houses" or "Sell Your Ugly House in 9 days for Cash." Those types of ads are placed by real estate investors who are looking for sellers under duress, and they'll only pay up to 70% of the low end market value for your home. Build Your Retirement By Investing In Real Estate Most people buy one or two properties. One is their primary residence and sometimes they have a vacation home. Loan Officer Training: Learn How To Shape Realtors Perceptions In medicine, a placebo is a pill that you think will make you better, and so it does. In your business, a placebo is a prospect having the experiences they expect to have, and so they have them. New Home Construction - The American Dream or The American Nightmare? Buying a new home is suppose to be the American Dream. Unfortunately, for many buyers of newly constructed homes it becomes the American Nightmare. Real Estate Appraisal - Rental Properties Real estate appraisal for rental properties isn't the same as for single family homes. If you were looking at a 24-unit building, it would be difficult to find similar ones nearby that have recently sold. The 5 Biggest Mistakes Made When Getting A Business Appraised Most business owners will, at some point, want or need to know how much their business is worth. They will be faced with the task of finding someone to perform a business appraisal or valuation. Finance Your Real Estate Investment Properties Unlike traditional residential real estate mortgages, real estate investment financing is way more creative and offers more options than you think. The golden rule in real estate investment is OPM (Other People's Money).
|
|||||||||||||||
